These Things That Should Not Be
by CanadianPunk1
Summary: Set in the Silver Millenium drawing influences from the live action, manga and anime. A rift has separated the Senshi. Minako/Rei shoujo-ai.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This story is based loosely on a combination of the anime, manga and the live action. Usual disclaimers apply. Italics indicate thoughts and the past.

**These Things That Should Not Be**

Chapter One

_Stupid! How could I have been so careless? I'm getting too comfortable and they are getting smarter. She must finally be running the show. _

The sun is beating down on the barren landscape as if it has some grudge against the planet but in spite of the heat all she can feel is the sting of the sand on her exposed skin. The chase is on and the sound of pounding hoof beats is deafening in her ears. She says a silent prayer that the hoof beats are of her own steed and that she's been able to lose her pursuers somewhere along the way, but she can't risk looking back to check. The only thing that matters is running. Getting as far away as possible and she knows she has a long way to go before she can rest. So she pushes her white desert horse harder just hoping against logic that she lost them along the way.

**Lunar Base**

Two women sit alone in a massive control room surrounded by flashing monitors and the hum of machinery. They have come to this room almost everyday for two years. It is their duty to bring the lost sheep back into the fold. But the hopelessness of the situation is beginning to gnaw away at their resolve. A blonde head rests tiredly on a pair of crossed arms, Venus turns her head slightly to peak out at the Mercurian as she begins typing furiously on the keyboard in front of her. Suddenly Mercury sits back in her chair and turns an uncertain eye on her commander.

"We have a sketchy report coming in that a vagabond matching her description was spotted in a small village near Arsia Mons. The commanding officer of the Martian regiment stationed there has not been able to confirm that it was in fact her." Silence filled the room after the blue haired girl had made her report. There wasn't very much to say after all. It's seemed like they have been chasing a ghost for the last two years. "Additional information suggests that they were extremely close to capturing the girl, but she managed to evade their soldiers at the last second. They are currently in pursuit heading towards the Amazonis Planitia. More information will be provided as it becomes available." Venus let a heavy sigh escape her lips as Cerulean eyes blinked back tears. She couldn't help but blame herself.

"_I don't see how any of this is your decision Mars. You have been nothing but a complication since day one."_

It was a mistake. Words said in anger an frustration. Words that she desperately wished she could take back, or at least apologize for. But you can't apologize to someone who you can't even find to make listen. Smashing a gloved fist down on the control panel in front of her Venus slouched over in defeat.

"Damnit Mars, just stop running"

**Mars: Somewhere in the Amazonis Planitia.**

Rei had been on the move for nearly half a day when sheer exhaustion finally forced her to look over her shoulder. A wave of relief passed over her when she realised that there were no longer any soldiers following her. Coming to a stop near a large out-cropping of stone Rei jumped down from the saddle and began rummaging through her supplies to find some water for her horse. She had been pushing him very hard this time and she could feel the sweat lathering on his flanks. After finding one of her cantinas, Rei walked gingerly to the front of her horse, while she whispered calming words she cupped water in her hands and allowed her steed to drink knowing that their time for resting was always short and they may have to be on the move again sooner than either of them would truly like.

This chase had been a close one. In the two years that she has been running from the Lunarian forces they have never come within a hairs breadth of catching her.

"This is starting to get a little too dangerous for my liking Artax." Rei worked at undoing the straps of the saddle while she mused aloud to the horse. "They are getting better at this. I don't know how much longer I will be able to keep running from them." It was an admission of undeniable fact. There are only so many places a person can hide on a desolate world like Mars. And there is only so long that a person can hide before they are forced to take refuge in a city or village to gather fresh supplies. Rei could barely believe that she had managed to escape capture for the two years that she has been hiding. She could guess that it might be a testament to her training as one of the Princess' Senshi, but she didn't want to go so far as to give Venus credit for anything.

Walking back towards her horse after retrieving some oats from their supplies, Rei portioned some into a leather feeding bag and set it down in front of Artax. "I think we should rest here for the night, don't you my friend?" The horse knicked at her in response and began to sniff happily at his dinner. Rei ran her hands along his neck affectionately before settling into the task of starting a fire. The weather on Mars was stifling during the day, to such a degree that it could often be difficult to breathe in the air. Night, however, was a much different story. The desert winds were already beginning to pick up and Rei could feel the temperature drop steadily as the sun began it's departure from the sky. It would be a long enough night for Rei having to worry about a scouting party sneaking up on them, she didn't want to have to suffer through the cold on top of that.

After gathering together some of the desert shrub surrounding their impromptu camp site, Rei set to the task of starting the fire. She would have to resort to the common methods as she dare not invoke her Senshi powers with the guarantee that Mercury would be monitoring any energy spikes that would indicate her transformation. She would not make that careless mistake again, not after it almost got her captured in that village. With the fire started Rei settled into a meditative state. Being back on Mars reminded her very much of her roots as a fire Priestess, and even though the Order would surely reject her after her crimes committed against the Moon Kingdom, she still craved the connection she once had to the fire. And tonight like every other night she would sit and meditate and her thoughts would be filled with the memory of the sin that forced her to become an outlaw.


	2. Chapter 2

**Lunar Base (two years ago):**

_The transport shuttle landed with a none too graceful thud just outside the docking bay. It was a miracle it had landed at all, the hull barely being held together. The Senshi had been on a reconnaissance mission to the outer reaches of the Martian system. Reports had come in of an alliance between a discontent Martian faction and the forces of Metaria. The Senshi had been monitoring the activity mainly located around the village of Pavonis in the western hemisphere and it had been long suspected that some of the more war like Martian tribes would abandon the cause of the Moon Kingdom and join the forces of Metaria which seemed to be growing stronger every day. The ever encroaching threat of Metaria's forces weighed heavily on the mind of the Queen and she began to fear desperately for her Kingdom's safety. The alliance with the Martians was volatile enough at the best of times and now with the added darkness the situation was becoming desperate. _

_Queen Serenity had sent the Senshi out to gather information in their civilian forms. She had stressed that there was no need to call attention to their presence and that it might only serve to further aggravate the situation. The mission began smoothly and it was decided that Ami and Makoto would stay behind in the transport shuttle to take long range readings while Minako and Rei ventured into the village to observe first hand how the Martian soldiers were behaving. It was unknown to Minako or the other Senshi that Rei held a particular fondness for the village of Pavonis having spent much time there working with the people when she was just a young acolyte in the Temple of Fire. Minako always stressed to her Senshi that when it came down to their duty to the Moon Kingdom and their princess that they could not let their former allegiances have too much influence on their actions. But the scene that they encountered upon arriving in Pavonis was one of pure devastation. _

_Most of the buildings had been reduced to rubble and the street was littered with the charred remains of what Minako could only hope were not people. The site was appalling. The survivors huddled together on the street clinging to any shelter or food they could get their hands on. Something terrible had happened here and it wasn't long before they discovered the cause of the destruction. Minako and Rei had cautiously picked their way through the village, being careful not to make too much contact with the remaining inhabitants. Minako was well aware of the emotions stirring within her fellow Senshi and she could only hope that their training would be enough to force Rei to use her good judgement and avoid any altercations. _

_When they came to the outskirts of the village what they found could only serve to further enrage the Martian Senshi. The soldiers that had previously been stationed to protect Pavonis where currently engaged in an extremely dubious activity that Minako could only suspect was ordered by Metaria. The two Senshi watched as the Soldiers methodically lead villagers towards a beacon of black light. After stepping foot into the beacon the villagers would let out a blood curdling cry and then crumple to the ground only to be tossed into a ever growing pile of bodies._

_It was this that caused Rei to snap. With no regard for Minako's command Rei transformed in a flash of red light and charged head first into the group of soldiers letting loose volley after volley of flaming retribution. Mars made short work of the soldiers attending the beacon, but it didn't take long for reinforcements to come in from beyond the hill outside of the village. Transforming into Venus, Minako stormed over to her delinquent second in command and grabbed her by the collar roughly pulling her away from the advancing troops. Ice was in her eyes as she glared at the fire Senshi and placed a call on her communicator to Ami and Makoto requesting an emergency evacuation._

_After boarding the transport ship at a dead run the four Senshi took off from the Martian surface while warding off a ground based counter strike. The Martian's had been supplied with stronger weapons as a benefit of their new partnership with Metaria and they were able to cause considerable damage to the transport ship before it was able to reach an altitude that their weapons could not fire at. The long trip back to the Moon Kingdom was spent in a deathly silence that was only shattered when the ship landed back at the palace. It was then that Minako unleashed her wrath._

"_Do I even have to ask if you were thinking at all when you charged into that fray? Do you even know what you did?" The anger came off Minako in waves as she lunged at her second in command. There was a fire in her eyes that rivalled the sacred flame in the Fire Temple. "You killed men. You killed men that you couldn't even prove were truly guilty." Minako clenched and unclenched her fists at her side. She was sorely tempted to beat some sense into Rei but knowing that would accomplish nothing she instead took up an offensive stance and waited for what she was sure would be a brilliant response._

"_They were killing those villagers! Who else do you think was responsible for that? You saw what they did to that village." Rei answered her commanders anger in kind. Not being one to back down from a fight, especially not one against the stubborn Venusian. "I knew some of those men. I worked alongside them to help build that village. Do you honestly think it would have been okay for me to just allow that to happen?"_

"_You know that what happened in your life before you became a guardian of the Princess cannot influence your decisions in these situations." Minako knew that Rei was looking for a fight. She knew that the Martian always resorted to these verbal back and forths to simply test Minako's strength as their leader. But she would not give the fire Senshi a fight today. "You can not know for certain that those soldiers were in control of their actions. We know that Metaria is capable of mind control." Minako continued to stare into Rei's eyes. She did not back down for a second, but her voice lowered to a terrifying calm. "You could have gotten us all killed. You could have ruined any chance that we had at discovering the purpose of that alliance." Minako could feel her resolve breaking. She was too tired to fight with the hot-headed Martian and she needed to see the Queen for a debriefing. Lowering her gaze from Rei's she turned to exit the transport ship. "What you did was reckless and irresponsible, I know that I have trained you to be smarter than that. I am suspending you from duty until I can discuss a proper punishment with Queen Serenity."_

_Rei opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by a look from Makoto. The Jovian placed a firm had on Rei's shoulder and held her back from the retreating Venusian. Before leaving the transport ship Minako turned to Ami, "I want you to compile any data you were able to collect, especially on that beacon. When you have finished you will join me in my debriefing with the queen. Make it quick" She smirked fondly at the Mercurian, knowing that the information was probably already organized with headings and footnotes. "Makoto." The Jovian tightened her hold on Rei's shoulder and nodded her head for Minako to continue. "Escort Rei to her room. Do not leave her side until I come get her." Rei's eyes sought out Minako's but the Venusian had already turned. Rei could see the pain in her aura. Minako was deeply hurt and disappointed, and Rei couldn't help but feel her stomach turn from knowing that she was the one who caused her to feel that way._

**Mars Amazonis Planitia:**

The wind had died down to a barely noticeable breeze. The desert was calm and so when the sound of falling rocks disturbed the still, Rei was roused from her meditations and immediately reached for a dagger. Quickly scanning her surroundings the former fire priestess noticed that her fire had seemed to burn away to embers long before she was called back to reality. Standing completely still she closed her eyes and tuned herself towards any more sounds that would break the quiet. It could simple have been a nocturnal desert animal. The rascrats are only active at this time of night and are known to be drawn to the smell of a campfire.

Clutching her dagger tightly in her fist, Rei made her way over to Artax to check on the supplies. And that's when she saw it. A family of rascrats where gathered around the feed bag she had left out for the sleeping desert horse. Rei had never seen a rascrat in person until now and she couldn't help but smile a little. When she was a child the soldiers in the palace would always tell stories of the rabid, carnivorous rascrats that only came out at night. There was a particular soldier, one of her father's favorites, who would always tell a story about how he lost three of his toes to a rascrat attack after he fell asleep with his boots removed. So it was with this memory that she watched the furry little cat-like creatures rummage in the feed back. Rei set her dagger down on a near by stone, the resulting clink alerted the mother rascrat to her presence and the entire family stood on their hind legs and stared at her with fear in their large eyes. Rei couldn't help but feel sorry for the little creatures knowing that this would probably be their best meal for a long time. And so she slowly reached down and spread a couple handfuls of the oats in front of the rascrats, picked up the feed bag and walked away.

Heaving a sigh of relief Rei returned to her spot in front of the fire, or at least what was left of the camp fire. Remembering what she had seen in her meditations before the intrusion, she shook her head lightly. It would be dawn soon, and they could not stay in one place for too long in the light of day. Now was the time for sleep and she could continue to reconcile her memories later.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: Thank you all for reading. I feel it is necessary to mention this as I just watched the movie on TV this evening. Rei's horse is named after Atreyu's horse in "The Neverending Story." I always cry when Artax dies in the Swamps of Saddness. There will be no horse deaths in this fic.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. I wanted to include another Rei flashback but I felt like keeping you in suspense.

**Moon P****alace (present time):**

Minako had been pacing back and forth in her room for almost an hour. Coming to a stop she looked down at the carpeting under her feet and grimaced when she saw the wear marks detailing her circular journey. After they had received word that the Martian soldiers that had been pursuing a vagabond they thought to be Rei had lost sight of the girl three hours before night fall, Minako had called it a night and informed Ami that she should as well after completing a quick patrol. They had been playing this same game of hide and seek for far too long now and it was getting increasingly imperative that the Senshi be reunited to face the potential threat of Metaria.

Exhaustion grabbed hold of Minako and forced her into a sitting position on the edge of her bed. Resting her head in her hands she forced her palms against her eyelids until she became dizzy and all she could see were dancing red lights behind her eyes. Falling backwards from her sitting position to lie down on the bed she brought her hand up to finger the bed sheet. She could hear the echoes of that argument again. The memory reverberated off the walls and always seemed to haunt her in the night.

_"I honestly don't care if you thought it was the right thing to do Mars. Once again you could have gotten us all killed. I don't know how many more times I'm going to put up with your careless antics before I just have you thrown back into that detention center forever."_

They had argued so much in those last months. More than they ever had before. Ever since that botched mission in Pavonis on Mars. She hated that it had gone the way it did. But there was no way she would be able to lead them in their duties properly if Mars was always acting without a second thought.

Minako hated this room. Everywhere she went, every chair, the bed, the balcony all served as reminders of how she failed, of how she lost her. Standing up from the bed she felt the ghost of a memory grab her wrist and pull her towards the balcony like Rei had done on the night she lost her heart to the Martian. She couldn't tell her then and Minako feared she would never get the chance. She had done what needed to be done. Or so she tried to convince herself. Their duty to protect the Princess always came first.

Standing on the balcony Minako felt the intruding presence before the Jovian was able to step foot in her room. They were all hyper aware of each other and so Makoto was not surprised when Minako didn't so much as jump when she laid her hand on her leader's shoulder and moved to stand beside her on the balcony.

"Ami-chan told me about the incident on Mars today. Do you think we are getting closer to finding her?"

"I'm not sure to be honest. But the reports are always the same when they do think it's her. A girl comes into a village riding a white desert horse. She buys supplies and then is never heard from again. If she sticks to her pattern it's only a matter of time I guess." She had a hard time convincing herself of that fact. It was nice to dream, but in reality, they didn't even know for certain if it was really Rei. "We've never had a confirmed visual that it is her though. So who knows."

Makoto smirked down at the blonde thinking she caught her in a factual error. "You mean we haven't had a confirmed sighting until today."

"What do you mean?" Minako rounded on the tall brunette and pinned her to the wall of the balcony.

To say the Jovian was startled by this reaction would be a drastic understandment and she struggled to formulate a response. "When I met up with Ami on patrol duty after she had left the Eternity Main System. She said that the leader of the scouting party had contacted her saying that he had received some groundbreaking information from a civilian." Her voice was shaky and Makoto averted her gaze from her the blonde's eyes. "The civilian confirmed an exact resemblance. I thought you would have been told already."

After a moment Minako released her hold on the Jovian's arms and turned to look over the edge of the balcony into the garden below. "I didn't know."

A quiet chuckle from Makoto served to ease the tension in the air between the two and she came to stand beside her commander once again. "It's not like Ami-chan to forget to tell you something like that." A broad smile grew on the Jovian's face. "She's slipping, maybe we should punish her?" She was rewarded with a small smile from the blonde and a mischievously quirked eyebrow.

"I don't think I want any part in any punishments you might dish out." Minako let a tiny sigh escape her lips. She was grateful as always for her friend's sense of humor, but she didn't know whether to be relieved or even more frustrated by the information she provided. "I can't believe we almost had her." Makoto couldn't help but feel sympathy for the Venusian. She knew that Minako blamed herself exclusively for what happened with Rei and she also suspected that the whole situation hurt her commander on a deeply personal level, although she would never go so far as to ask.

"How do you think we should proceed?" She knew the answer. It was always the same.

"We keep looking. Everyday we get just a little bit closer." Minako walked back into her chambers and the brunette followed her to the door. "I will brief the Queen and Princess in the morning. Maybe it's time we paid a visit to the red planet."

Makoto balked at her leader's words. "Are you sure that's a good idea? We can't leave the palace undefended."

"I know that. But we also can't afford to be a Senshi short any longer. You've read the reports from the other planets. From earth. We are in desperate times now. It is time to end this game of hide and seek." With a silent nod Makoto opened the door and stepped outside the room.

A nervous second passed between the two guardians. They could both feel it coming yet neither wanted to confirm it with words. Instead they bid each other goodnight with a promise to develop a plan of action in the morning. Minako closed the door to her room and returned once more to the balcony. She searched the sky and allowed her gaze to rest on a red-orange speck of light.

"It's time for you to come home."

**Mars (city of Albor Tholus):**

Rei had ridden for two days before arriving in the city of Albor Tholus. She could remember coming here once as a child but had never set foot in this city again until today. After being inside the city walls for no more than five minutes it was not hard for her to see why it was a good thing she had avoided returning until now. Albor Tholus was a city of gluttony, vanity and debauchery. The city was famous for it's brothels and games houses. This was no place for a woman, or even a man, to travel alone in and Rei kept the hilt of her dagger within close reach under her robes. She did not want to have to transform if she could avoid it, but that might not be possible.

Rei led her horse down the main street and made special effort to ignore the peddlers and the profiteers. She decided to stop here because she had heard of a man who was sympathetic to the Temple of Fire, which she had been told was rare in a godless city like Albor Tholus. She hoped that this man would be able to provide her shelter for a few days while she regrouped after her near capture. Running forever wasn't working anymore so maybe an actual plan would be beneficial.

The air stank of a combination of bile, alcohol and blood and the scent made Rei pull her scarf tighter around her face. She could see that at one time the city had been beautiful. The walls of the buildings, now covered in soot and grease sometimes gleamed a pearly white in a spot that had recently been rubbed up against. The buildings themselves were huge and an apartment of their size in the capital would go for quite a handsome sum. She knew that in her great-grandfather's day Albor Tholus was a prosperous up and coming trading mecca. The last outpost for jewel miners journeying into the Amazonis Planitia with hopes of striking it rich. But after the jewel rush ended the city was left at the mercy of the opportunistic, the criminals and the outcasts.

The once fabulous markets that were situated on every second corner became either markets for stolen or illegal merchandise or games houses where the hopeless would try their luck only to leave penniless, and sometimes fingerless. The once wide streets were now cluttered with carts and bodies, the population having far out grown capacity several years ago. Rei gingerly led Artax through the mess and was grateful when she saw the symbol of the Temple of Fire on a non-descript building at the end of a deserted alleyway. Rei tied Artax to a pole that stood in front of the building and hurried up to the door. Before she could even knock the door swung open and the priest stood staring at her with cold eyes.

"I know who you are traveler. I saw you coming in the fire."

Rei removed the scarf from her head. Shaking the sand out of her dark hair she drew herself to her full height in front of the shorter man. "I only ask for shelter. And I ask for it in the name of Ares and the fire whom we both serve."

The priest raised his eyebrow at the travel weary girl in front of him. He knew a great deal of the deeds of the Princess of Mars. After a moment he seemed to make his mind up about something. "Let us bring your horse around to the back. There are very few people in this city who would walk by an unattended horse."

**Moon Palace (war room):**

It was a rare occasion to have the Queen sit in on a meeting in the war room. It was a testament to the severity of the issue. This would be the meeting that decided what final course of action they would take in retrieving their wayward Senshi. There was no more time for games. No more time to depend on the often times dysfunctional Martian army. The three remaining Senshi, Queen Serenity and the Princess had been in conference for two hours already. Minako was all business, hiding the inner turmoil she had been feeling for two years like an expert.

"It is clear that the time for sitting back is over. I suggest that the three of us go to Mars ourselves and get the job done right." Out of the corner of her eye Minako could see Princess Serenity nod her head in agreement, excited at the possibility of having Mars back. Or maybe she was just excited that the meeting might soon come to a close and she could return to more entertaining activities.

Ami, who had been silent for much of the afternoon busily compiling data on a small computer on the in front of her decided that the time was right to speak. She looked up at the Queen and revealed to all what she had been so busy doing. "I have been looking back at the information gathered by the Martian scouting party. It appears that they had been able to 'interrogate' some of the merchants that Rei had visited. There is a strong indication that her next intended move was to seek protection in the city of Albor Tholus."

Makoto's eyes locked on Ami and she rose to speak. "Albor Tholus? Are you certain?"

"What's so bad about Albor Tholus?" Seemingly entranced by the trepidation in Makoto's voice, Princess Serenity turned a curious eye on Ami expecting the traditional textbook answer. She would not be disappointed.

"Albor Tholus is the largest city, by population, on Mars."

Gritting her teeth, the now irate Jovian cut the blue-haired girl short. "It's also the Martian hot bed of immorality and generally barbaric behaviour." The brunette turned a pleading eye first on her Queen then on her commander. "Minako you can't honestly suggest that we go there. We would simply be inviting disaster." Silence once again filled the war room. Minako and Makoto remained locked in a staring match. Princess Serenity nervously fidgeted with a loose thread on her dress. An unphased Ami continued to work on her computer.

However it wasn't long before Queen Serenity rose from her spot. This act signified two things: the meeting was over and a non-negotiable decision had been reached.

"Minako have a shuttle prepared. You three will be leaving in forty-eight hours." Turning to her daughter the Queenreached out her hand. "Serenity, it is time for you lessons." Princess Serenity looked up at her mother with a noticeable pout on her face. She could now forget about her plans for more entertaining activities. As for the three Senshi, they remained in the same position while the Queen spoke and only turned to look at her upon hearing her last words. "Minako, be sure to bring her home. Time is running out."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: Euris is pronounced you-ris. Also, I am being purposefully vague. These four chapters and perhaps the next two could really just be considered a prologue. Everything will come into more light when the senshi are reunited.

* * *

**Mars (Albor Tholus)**

Rei felt at peace. The city surrounding her was bustling and hot with activity, but here in this simple building that could hardly be called a temple, she felt peace. After leading Artax to a small stable at the back of the structure, the priest introduced himself as Euris. Rei had followed him inside his makeshift temple and was now sitting at a low table near a crackling fire. The room she was in appeared to be the main room of the building. It was large and had a sitting area which was where the fire and the table were located. On the far wall there was also an attached kitchen of sorts.

Euris busied himself gathering food and drink and did not turn when he addressed his guest. "So tell me Princess Mars, what brings you to a city such as this?"

"Don't call me that." It was barely a whisper but Rei flinched as the words left her mouth.

Euris turned to face Rei at this point. Her posture told him not to press the issue, but she was forcing him to harbor a criminal. Propriety be damned. "But that is your station. Is it not?"

Dipping her raven head slightly Rei closed her eyes as a tremor of sadness passed through her. "It is." There was no use in denying it especially not to a priest of the fire. "But I no longer deserve to be called by that title." She turned her eyes to stare into the fire. The warmth passed over her but it did not warm her through. "I did something unforgivable and am no longer deserving of the life I was meant to live."

Euris was silent a moment as he brought a tray over to the table. It was a simple meal. One that Rei was used to eating when she lived as an acolyte and then a priestess in the temple in Elysium. Nothing more than a few chunks of bread, some slivers of cheese and slices of meat. It was simple, but Rei was grateful for the kindness all the same.

They ate together in silence for a few minutes. Each seemingly absorbed in thoughts that took them beyond the building and far past the city walls. It wasn't until a log snapped in the fire that Euris spoke again.

"I have watched your journeys in the fire for many years. I'm sure that you do not recognize me, but we have met before." Euris placed his hand lightly over Rei's causing her to look up to his face. He was right, she could not place his face, but there was something in his eyes that she knew was familiar. "You still have much growing up to do young acolyte." There was a smile then as he squeezed her hand and Rei remembered. She remembered the kind face of a young priest who had pulled her back from the sacred flame when she had gotten too close.

Rei returned the older man's smile. "I remember you. You served as an acolyte and then a priest at my father's temple. You were the one who petitioned to have me sent away to the Temple of Fire in Elysium." This man had changed the course of her life. And now it would seem that he would play a part in it again.

"When I saw that you were coming here I wondered to myself if it was fates decision to have us reunited once again." Euris rose to clear away the now empty tray. "You say that you no longer deserve your title. Well you and I both know that times are grim. We no longer have the luxury of running from those things which frighten us the most."

Rei had indeed seen the visions in the fire. Suddenly the room felt a little colder. "So what are you suggesting exactly?"

His face was expressionless, but his eyes commanded her complete attention. "You are needed for something that is much bigger than any person can be on their own." He moved to sit once more in front of Rei. "I will not force you to stop running but I hope that in the brief time that you are here you will see the wisdom in what I tell you."

The fire Senshi bowed her head once more, her eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Why do you priests always insist on being so vague?"

Euris laughed lightly at the young woman's question. "Because if we were straightforward about everything there would be no need for people to think for themselves. And we can't let life get simple on us now can we?"

The two smiled at each other and there was a nod of understanding from Rei. "I know that I should face them eventually. I just wonder if I am truly ready."

"You are in a safe place now. I will not betray your presence here." Euris stood and walked to the door exiting the main room. "I will get you a bed roll and some blankets. You may stay in this room tonight. I suggest you use the fire to your advantage." The meaning behind his words was not lost on Rei and she had already been planning on meditating. Rei watched Euris leave, closing a sliding door behind him. She sat completely still for several minutes, waiting for Euris to return with the promised bedding. After he left for the second time Rei turned to face the fire completely and allowed the peace she felt from this building take her away.

**Moon Palace (18 hours until departure):**

Princess Serenity was bored. Not an uncommon occurrence, but a dangerous one for who ever the victim du jour was and right now that honor belonged to Venus. Today was Princess Serenity's advanced mathematical theories and laws class. It was the class that Serenity suggested they punish Rei with instead of having her locked in a detention center. After all, what could be a more fitting punishment than three hours of mathematical theory? Serenity thought it was a good idea.

The princess sat at a table and tapped a pencil up an down in perfect time to the clock on the wall. She was paying attention to the sensei, well she was staring right through him to be exact, but all that mattered was that she was looking at him. Right?

Shifting around nervously in her seat, Serenity looked out the corner of her eye to see her guardian Venus leaning up against the wall by the door. She always thought very highly of the blonde Venusian and felt she was fortunate to have known the woman when they were younger. If she was forced to pick her favorite out of her four Senshi, Serenity was certain that she would chose Venus. Or at least that had been the case before Rei left.

Serenity shifted her attention, or her unfocused attention, back to staring through her sensei. She remembered the day that Rei had come to join them. It was the same day that Makoto arrived from Jupiter. It had taken them a while to track down both princesses. Makoto was hard to find because of the nomadic and conflicted nature of the warring Jovian's. They had a palace on Jupiter, but it was anyone's best guess if the Royal family was living there or if they had been momentarily ousted by another tribe. When they were finally able to contact Makoto's mother and father, they were informed that the palace had actually been moved to a location hidden deep within a mountain in the jungle. Serenity could remember her mother chastising the King and Queen for not relaying that information to the Moon Kingdom.

Finding the fire Senshi had been a little bit more difficult. Rei's mother had died when the girl was very young and the King, having not been ready to raise a daughter on his own, sent the girl to become an acolyte in the Temple of Fire. This separated the Moon Kingdom from having any knowledge of the heir to the Martian thrown as the ones who served the fire were incredibly secretive by nature. It wasn't until there had been an attack on a small village in the Hellas Planitia that the Eternity Main System registered Mars' transformation.

A week later both Rei and Makoto were presented to Serenity and her mother in the thrown room. It was an incredibly happy day for Serenity. And as she continued to remember the event a huge grin broke out on her face and the sensei interrupted his lesson to regard his princess curiously.

"Is something the matter your highness?"

A dazed and blissed out expression still on her face, Serenity shook her head and first looked at Venus, who wore a small smirk on her lips, and then to her sensei, who stood with a marker poised to the board ready to continue the lesson.

Raising a shaking hand behind her head, Serenity waved at the sensei to continue. "Everything's fine, I'm just a little hungry"

Minako's smirk grew wider. _Must have been dreaming about Makoto's cookies again._

"Well do not worry your highness, we only have ten more minutes until the end of today's lesson." True to his word, the sensei finished the lesson in exactly ten minutes. Serenity excitedly gathered together her things and asked Venus to follow her out to the garden. The Princess was troubled by her daydreaming. She knew without a doubt that the blonde had changed dramatically after what happened, but as far as she was aware no one had ever bothered to talk to the Venusian about it.

Serenity sat down on a bench underneath a large oak tree, patted the spot next to her and inclined her head until Minako took the hint and sat down.

"Are you nervous about your mission tomorrow Minako-chan?"

The blonde's eyes turned to look into her princess'. The girl was never very good at hiding her intentions and Minako knew this conversation was going to have very little to do with the mission. "I wouldn't say nervous, so much as apprehensive."

As with many things in the Princess' mind, Serenity was becoming bored with her round-about thought process in this conversation. So she decided to get right to the point. "So are you nervous about seeing Rei-chan again?"

Nail meet hammer. "Yes."

"I wish you would tell me why Minako-chan. Since Rei left us you have been so temperamental." Serenity looped her arm through her guardian's and gently laid her head on the Senshi of love's shoulder. "It saddens me to see you like this."

Minako had never been able to tell anyone about her 'relationship' with the Martian. Truth be told she didn't even know if there was anything to tell. For all she knew it could all be chalked up to hormones. But something inside her would not let her believe that.

"I think I was in love with her."

Serenity smiled. She liked being right. It didn't happen too often in her lessons and so she relished the experience whenever she could. "Can you tell me about it Minako-chan?"

Minako sighed and looked down to see a dewy-eyed pout gracing the beautiful features of her princess.

_The training session had been hard. Venus had run her Senshi into the ground and she couldn't keep the satisfied smirk off her face as she watched the three of them limp around the arena. They had to start taking things seriously and now that she was officially their leader she would be sure that they did._

_The four of them had been together for almost six months, and their fighting was improving immensely but Venus still had some concerns about their tandem combat. Especially when it came to the fiery Martian. Mars fought with the spirit of a wild animal. She was unpredictable and highly emotional in battle situations. It was a growing concern for Venus and she had spent many hours with Mercury to devise a training technique that might curb the fire Senshi's spontaneity. _

_This was the result of their efforts. A grid iron style training drill. Venus decided that she would work them so hard that they didn't have the energy to fly off on whims and attack impulsively. For the most part it had worked. When Jupiter appeared out of no where to attack Venus herself, Mars was too busy fighting her fatigue and Mercury to jump in between the Venusian and the Jovian as she had done on several previous occasions._

_From the very beginning Venus felt a particular attraction to the raven haired Senshi. She had heard many stories about Martians from her ladies in waiting when she was still living as just the Venusian princess. Looking over at her second in command she couldn't keep the blush from her face as she watched Mars and Jupiter engage in an impromptu mock sword fight. _

_She would always make up an excuse to spend as much time with the Martian as possible. Sometimes she would tell the other two Senshi that she felt it was necessary to understand the secretive fire priestess better so that she could learn how to fight beside her properly. Sometimes she would just blush and pull a very confused Rei along with her._

_There was a particular danger for all of them in the possibility of growing feelings between the two. But Venus suspected there was something going on between Mercury and Jupiter and so she felt a little bit less guilty than she knew she should._

_Tonight was her night off from duty and she had conveniently placed Mars on the shortest patrol. Tomorrow they would be going on a reconnaissance mission to a village on Mars and Venus wanted to spend tonight distracted. She was quickly discovering that Rei provided more than an adequate distraction._

_The four Senshi left the training arena together and headed back into the palace grounds. Minako big goodnight to Mercury and Jupiter and reminded them that they would be leaving at 09:00 hours. Her three comrades turned to leave._

"_Mars, come and see me after your patrol tonight. There are some details about the mission that I would like to discuss with you further." It wasn't a complete lie. They were going to Mars's homeworld after all and who would be a better source of information about the village than the Martian princess? Mercury shot Jupiter a knowing look and the two smiled at each other and continued on their separate ways to patrol. _

_Nodding her head politely, Mars also turned to leave. "I will see you in a couple of hours Minako-chan."_

_It wasn't long before Minako heard a knock at her door. She did not move to answer, she knew that the Martian would wait for a few seconds and upon not receiving an answer would test the door knob. If it was not locked she would always just enter. Minako found this intrusive habit endearing, if not also slightly annoying._

_Rei did not stride confidently into Minako's room the same way she would others. Instead she stepped in quietly and absorbed her surroundings, as if she was trying to commit every detail to memory. The moment didn't last long though as the Martian checked her emotions and went right to the point._

"_So what did you want to discuss with me?" Minako was seated on the edge of her bed. She was fidgeting nervously with her fingernails, a habit that Rei found to be extremely irritating. "You shouldn't do that you know."_

_Cerulean eyes met violet and the two Senshi smiled at each other. Rei now knew that this wasn't a business call. Rei did not move to sit beside the blonde, but instead she grabbed the Venusian lightly by the wrist and tugged her out to the balcony. Rei was beginning to enjoy these moments. They were becoming more and more frequent and served to off-set their many disagreements in political and battle situations. _

_Since the first day the two had met Rei had reflexively butted heads with the Stubborn Venusian. She suspected it had something to do with the fact that she could be just as hard headed as the blonde. Accepting Minako as their leader had not been an easy task for the Martian and she had been forced to bite her tongue on several occasions. But lately there had been nights like this. When Minako would call her to join her in her room after patrol and they would stand on her balcony or sit on her bed and tell each other stories of their childhood. _

Minako finished telling her story and was awoken from her reflective state by something warm splashing on her forearm. She looked down at her princess and noticed that the girl had been crying. And judging by the size of the puddle forming between them, she had been crying for quite some time.

Princess Serenity sniffled and rather unglamorously wiped her eyes with the back of a gloved hand. "That is so sad Minako-chan. You two would have had a beautiful love." At this point Princess Serenity completely lost her self composure and threw her arms around Minako, crying her heart out for all it was worth.

_Maybe we still can my princess._


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: This chapter ends the "prologue" feel. But there is still a lot to come from the story, even if the back story essentially comes to a close. I have planty of angst in store for my two favorite Senshi so bare with me.

Krampus: Thanks for the review! I try to get as much writing done as I can on my off days and while I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head so updates come in quick spurts. I'm glad you like the flash back style. I find that it keeps things interesting as the present timeline unfolds and you wait for glimpses of what happened to get them to where they are.

* * *

Slowly she became aware of her senses focusing. Soon the only entity she could register as being in the room with her was the fire. The only sound was the crackle of the tinder. The only smell was the burning of the wood. All that she could feel was the gentle warmth of the flame. Rei loved the experience of breathing in wood smoke. The way it tickled it's way up her nostrils leaving behind a slightly acidic sting. She was a being born of the fire, in battle it was hers to command and in these quiet moments she surrendered herself to it completely. This was her place.

Rei focused her entire being on the fire. The world began to fade and fall away from her as her silent prayer for peace was answered. Tonight she had asked for guidance and answers. She desperately yearned for an absolution. And tonight the fire would show her that solace could only be found when her soul could reconcile the deeds of her past.

_Rei paced back and forth in her cell. She had spent the last five days confined to the small room with only a cot and a decidedly terrifying looking latrine. It wasn't all that bad though. Ami and Makoto had been down to visit her everyday. Even Princess Serenity had dropped in on her. Unfortunately she had brought along her history sensei. But the impromptu history lesson isn't what had bothered the fire Senshi on that day. It was the fact that Venus was the princess' personal guardian on this particular afternoon and the stoic blonde had not so much as turned her eyes on Rei._

_Rei sat down awkwardly on the cot, jumping up a little bit as an errant spring poked out at her from the torn mattress. She would be happy to be back in her own room. Happy to have a shower and sleep on a bed that didn't try to disembowel her in the night._

_In twenty more minutes Venus would be coming down to inform her of the status of her punishment, and with any luck she would be enjoying a nice long, very hot shower within the hour. _

_Rei had had more than enough time to reflect on her actions in Pavonis. She knew that Venus would come down to her cell and immediately question her of the same thing she did five days ago. This time she would have a rational answer. One that would satisfy the blonde. One that would hopefully get her back in the Venusian's good graces, or at least as good as she had ever been in._

_Truth be told she missed the petulant blonde desperately. For the first two days of her sentence she had cursed herself to no end over possibly ruining whatever had been developing between the two of them. Rei was a loner by nature. She didn't make friends easily. But this girl had worked her way in. She was like a hole. At first the tear is barely noticeable but then it keeps growing and growing until the only thing that you can feel is the stabbing of the mattress spring and kami she really needed to get out of this cell and away from that damn bed._

_As if on cue the lock to her cell disengaged and Rei lifted her head from her hands to see Minako standing in front of her. Smiling._

"_How are you feeling?"_

_Rei turned a suspicious eye on her commander. "Fine." This had to be a joke. Minako hadn't so much as looked at her since throwing her in here and suddenly she's all smiles and 'how are you feelings'?_

_Minako reached her hand out to the fire priestess. "Come on, I'm sure you're dying to take a shower." The blonde sniffed the air and made a show of recoiling in terror. "Actually I don't care if you are or not, I'm going to order you to take one."_

_In spite of her scepticism, Rei grabbed Minako's hand and allowed herself to be pulled up. "I know what you must be thinking." Minako's finger jabbed at the raven head beside her. "You're thinking, 'why is she being so nice to me?" All Rei could do was nod._

_The two Senshi excited the detention center and Minako had still not released Rei's hand nor answered the question that she herself asked._

_After a moment Rei took it upon herself to gain clarification. "So, why are you being so nice to me?"_

_Cerulean eyes met hers and there was a playful sparkle behind them. "Because I missed you Reiko." _

Rei could feel the air around her becoming warmer. She had been avoiding the issue. This memory was not enough and the fire began pulling her in deeper.

_She was bipolar. There was no other explanation for it other than split personalities. Minako was the playful, forgiving one who was happy to release her from her imprisonment. While Venus was cold and malicious and took joy in running her completely ragged in training sessions._

_Today was a particularly gruelling session and Rei found herself on more than one occasion looking to Jupiter or Mercury for some kind of assistance or pity._

"_On your feet Mars." The fire Senshi grimaced while clutching her ribs. It would be a good bruise. Forcing herself to a standing position Mars glared at her commander and prepared herself for the next attack. But it never came, instead she found herself locked in a staring match._

_Venus didn't look away as she began her advance on her second in command. "Why did you do it Mars?"_

_This was the line of questions she had expected a week ago. "Because it was the right thing to do."_

"_How is rushing head first into a twenty to one conflict the right thing to do?" Venus raised her eyebrow. "And further more, how is near fatal or fatally wounding twenty men without reason the right thing to do?"_

_Here goes everything. "As Princess of Mars it is my duty to protect my people." Mars lowered her eyes from her leader's. "I could not allow that to continue. Those people have already been through too much heartache."_

_Venus' gaze softened as she came to a stop in front of the raven haired women. "While your heart was in the right place, your head was not." Placing two fingers under Mars' chin she coaxed the other woman to look into her eyes. "I can't have any of you acting so impulsively. We need to function as a unit. And you need to trust me that situations like that will be handled accordingly." The blonde smiled now. "Without having you rush in all guns-a-blazin."_

_Seeing Ami and Makoto walk up, already back in civilian form, Mars and Venus followed suit. Without her Senshi powers dulling the pain of the favorite of her current bruises, Rei let out a groan and once more clutched at her side._

"_Does it hurt?" Minako reached out tentatively. _

_Putting on a brave face, the fire priestess smirked at her commander. "Fortunately for you I'll live."_

_Minako chuckled in response and lent the taller girl her arm as they walked over to the other two Senshi._

The air grew warmer. This was still not good enough. Rei was taking baby steps and the fire was getting sick of it. She could feel the control over her meditations slipping as the spirit of the flame entered her mind and sought out the memory she had been purposefully avoiding.

"_What did you do?!"_

_The whole room stank of blood. Mars collapsed to her knees. Her head was spinning. What did she do?_

"_I……. Don't know"_

Gasping for air Rei pushed herself away from the fire. She was not prepared to handle this tonight. It was too much. Wrapping her arms tightly around her body she huddled inward on herself, fighting back the bitter cold that filled her entire being.

She could feel the tears coming, but fight them as hard as she tired there was no stopping it. She was just so tired. But this time she wasn't alone. She felt Euris' presence as he came into the room and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.

"You don't have to do this alone anymore."

**Lunar transport ship:**

Jupiter piloted the transport ship near ground level. They had arrived at Mars twenty minutes ago and had since been waiting to hear from a ground regiment for landing instructions.

"They sure are taking their sweet time," huffed Jupiter. Venus cast a sideways glance at the Jovian. She was also getting impatient, but politics with Mars had not been going very smoothly over the last two years. They could not afford to make any missteps this time. It was too important.

"I have just received a transmission from the ground. We have been cleared to land just outside the city walls." Mercury could feel herself smiling as she looked over at Jupiter fist pumping the air. It was a known fact that the tall brunette was not a fan of space travel, preferring to have her feet firmly planted on the ground as long as possible.

Venus sat down in the seat beside Jupiter and began to assist in the landing procedure. "Did they say if there would be any soldiers waiting to meet us?"

"Affirmative." Mercury was in information mode. Venus had instructed her to be on alert for any energy spikes. Any sign at all of Rei. They had a good idea that she was in the city, but it was a big city. "There is still no sign of Mars." Mercury couldn't keep the hint of disappointment out of her voice. Out of the three of them Mercury was the most disturbed by Mars disappearance.

Venus had responded with a frightening mixture of emotional overload and complete catatonia. Jupiter had just yelled and cursed for a few hours. Mercury had had no reaction. In fact the blue haired girl did not saying anything about the whole incident for two weeks, deciding only to speak when it mattered the most.

_Minako was startled by the sound of a light knock at her door. Raising her head she sat staring at the offending door for a minute, hoping that whoever it was would just go away. She looked back down at the pile of paperwork stacked in front of her and grimaced when the intruder knocked yet again._

_Pulling herself from her chair, the blonde headed towards the door. She could tell by more than just the polite volume of the knock that it would be Ami standing on the other side. So when she opened the door she didn't say hello but just motioned the other girl in and headed back to her desk._

"_I'm sorry to bother you at this hour Minako-chan." Ami bowed her head slightly and averted her gaze in apology. _

_Minako couldn't help but smile at the girl. "It's okay Ami-chan." She sighed as she looked at the mountain of paperwork again. "I think I need a break from all this anyways. What is it that you want to talk about?" Minako gestured for Ami to have a seat and the two sat looking at each other in a comfortable silence for a time before Ami cleared her throat._

"_I have been thinking about what happened with Rei-chan." This time, Ami looked directly at Minako. "And I really think you need to listen to what I have to say." Minako had refused to listen to any talk of the fire Senshi since she had vanished and now Ami was forced into the uncomfortable position of making her commander to listen simply by staring at her._

_The Venusian raised her fingers to the bridge of her nose. She had managed to avoid talking about it for two weeks but she knew eventually she would have to be grown up and deal with it._

"_I don't think Mars was responsible for what happened on Mercury." Ami steeled her nerves and continued when she heard no contest from Minako. "I have been going over the information we collected and the information provided by the Mercurian government." Ami pulled out a stack of papers she had been hiding behind her back and placed them carefully in front of the blonde. "The damage reported was not consistent with any of Mars' attacks."_

_At this Minako looked up. She hadn't read over any of the reports herself, not trusting her emotional state. She had delegated most of that to the Mercurian. "But we were so sure."_

"_We jumped to a conclusion when we found Mars in the middle of all those bodies."_

"_She was covered in blood Ami." Minako's eyes flashed. The memory was too painful._

_Not faltering for a second, Ami continued. "It is fair to suggest that anyone who would have been in that room would have been just as covered in blood." Ami saw tears beginning to form in Minako's eyes and reached out to cover the blonde's shaking hand with her own. "But there are a few simple facts that seem to have been removed from the bigger picture. It's all in my reports."_

_Wiping her hand quickly over her eyes, Minako pouted up at Ami. "Can you please just tell me? I don't think I can stand reading this right now."_

_Ami could feel her heart breaking for her commander. She had beat herself up so much over this. "Of course." The Mercurian pushed the report aside and began to recite from memory. "As you will remember we were sent to Mercury to investigate suspected youma activity. When we landed on Mercury we were immediately informed that there was currently a conflict in progress in one of the research laboratories." _

_Ami paused to make sure she had Minako's complete attention. "Do you remember having any weapons on you other than those provided by your Senshi form?_

_Minako blinked. She didn't._

"_We didn't have time to bring anything else with us. Mars was the first to jump from the shuttle and head into the laboratory. The wounds on the Mercurians were inflicted by a non-mystical weapon." Smiling at her attention to detail Ami forged ahead. "I didn't realize it at first myself, but after spending some time going trough the reports, it was pretty obvious."_

_The blonde couldn't help the sigh that escaped her lips. "So I guess that means Rei is innocent." Blinking back tears, Minako rested her head in her hands. "But now we have a few new problems to address." She felt like the moon had been lifted from it's current residence in her heart. But something still wasn't right. "Why didn't she remember anything about what had happened?"_

_That was the one question that Ami could not answer, not matter how many times she looked over the data. "I'm not sure. I will continue to look into the matter if you like. Also I recommend that we begin to search for Rei as soon as possible."_

"_That's probably a good idea." Minako agreed as Ami stood and prepared to leave. The blue haired girl knew that the Venusian would want to be able to digest all of this information in private. "I will inform Queen Serenity of your findings tomorrow after I have had some time to read through the report and prepare a proposal to search for Rei."_

_The blonde followed Ami to the door. It was amazing how even walking felt a little bit easier. "Promise me you will get some sleep tonight Minako-chan." Ami awkwardly hugged the other woman. "Makoto-chan and I have both been very worried about you."_

_Minako smiled at her fellow Senshi and grateful for the clumsy show of affection she returned the hug in kind. "Thank you for bothering me so late tonight. I think for the first time in two weeks I will be able to sleep a little bit easier." The two said goodnight and pushing the door closed behind her, Minako leaned her head back against it and slowly sunk to the floor. It was a mixture of laughing and crying, but it was the most comforting break down she had had in a long time._

Mercury was roused for her thoughts when the transport ship came to a complete landing on the Martian surface. Jupiter was already standing outside and greeting the Martian soldiers who would be aiding them in tracking down their missing Senshi. Mercury cast a tentative look towards her commander. She could see the anxiety in her commanders cerulean eyes.

Walking over to Venus she placed a light hand on her arm and gave a supportive squeeze. "Don't worry, I'm sure we will find her." Venus smiled at Mercury and the two headed out into the blistering heat of the desert.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: Sorry for the slight delay on this part. I started re-watching PGSM as research for a 'missing scenes' fanfic I want to do. I promise it will be good so forgive my procrastination? Enjoy!

* * *

Rei sat staring blankly ahead. She had been sitting in the same position for the last hour. Euris was starting to worry. The sun had risen two hours ago and Rei had been meditating for the entire night. Her eyes were hooded and her face was ashen.

Breathing in deeply, Rei broke her staring match with the wall across from her and squinted out the window, realizing for the first time that it was light outside.

"Is it really morning?"

"Yes. I came downstairs to see if you would like any breakfast." Euris stood and headed over to the tiny kitchen. "I didn't anticipate to find you in the state you were in"

Rei cast her eyes downwards. She was still shaken. She could tell that she had come very close to remembering what she had never before been able to see. The events from the research laboratory on Mercury were lost from her and until now she had not attempted to seek them out since that night.

"I pulled myself back before I could see something that I'm not sure I wanted to." That was a lie. "But actually, I think I do want to know. I'm just." Rei bowed her head to her knees, her body shaking from holding back tears. "I'm just scared."

The priest slowly made his way over to the girl and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You have a very good reason to be scared. But if you are willing to remember, and if you have a good reason to fight through it, the fear will dissipate."

Rei straightened up and nodded in understanding. She was stronger than she was acting. The memory was painful, she had lost so much because of it. But now the time had come for her to stop running. Rei could feel the darkness building strength. The time when she would have to face her former comrades would come very soon and there would be no more time for hiding in dark corners.

"I have a good reason to fight." There was resolve in her eyes now as she spoke. The fire Senshi cast aside the blanket that she had huddled around her and stood to face the aging priest. "All I can hope is that when the time comes they want me back."

Euris smiled at the raven haired girl and turned back to the task of preparing food, but he was interrupted by a knock at the door. He wrinkled his brow in confusion. Rei had been the first person in a year to knock on his door. People in Albor Tholus did not often, if really ever, seek the guidance of the fire.

Euris motioned for Rei to hide behind the door that led to the upper rooms of the building. There was no way to tell who could be waiting on the other side and he didn't want to betray his guest at any cost.

The visitor knocked again just as Euris reached the door. Opening it he was greeted by a rather agitated looking soldier.

"Regards from the Martian and the Moon Kingdoms." The soldier bowed awkwardly, looking terribly uncomfortable being anywhere near the make-shift temple. "I am here by special orders of Queen Serenity asking if you know the whereabouts of Princess Mars." The soldier finished and cast a nervous glance behind him where Euris could see two Senshi standing at the mouth of the alley conversing with a man who appeared to be this young soldier's captain.

Euris narrowed his eyes at the soldier, looking as menacing as possible. "The temple of fire wishes to have no associations with the Princess of Mars and former priestess of the fire." Taking a step forward, Euris had to hide his smirk as the young man nearly fell over in his haste to move away from the threshold. "As for you, young man, you know that it is an offense to the fire to bring a weapon that has tasted blood this close to sacred ground. Shall I pray for you to be punished so that you may be forgiven?"

"N-n-n-no." The soldier backed away even further. "T-th-that won't be necessary. Thank you though. I will inform my captain that you have seen nothing of the princess."

Euris watched as the soldier fled down the alley coming to a dead stop in front of the two Senshi. He could fell Rei come up behind him, her eyes locked on the blonde Senshi who nodded to the young solider and his captain and walked away with her blue haired companion.

"So that was her then?"

Startled, Rei shook her head and returned the knowing look that Euris gave her. She then turned to head back towards the fire in the center of the room.

"Yes."

* * *

She couldn't believe it. She was sure that Rei would have been at the temple. In a city like this it just made the most sense. Minako could feel herself getting annoyed. It was too hot here. She had never much cared for the Martian climate, or the Martian dialect or really pretty much anything about this planet. That is until she came along.

Minako made her way back towards the transport ship. They had spent the entire day questioning residents in every building in half of the city, and their efforts had afforded them nothing that they did not already know.

"What if the priest was lying?" Makoto was leaning in the door frame of the ship as Minako approached. The Jovian had bullied her way through one of the black markets, and despite detaining several highly sought after Martian criminals, had found nothing pertinent regarding Rei.

Ami appeared behind Makoto and came down to meet Minako where she had crouched down on a rock just outside the ship. "I don't think he would have any reason to cover for Rei." Ami saw the look of confusion of Makoto's face and smiled as she explained. "When the temple of fire learned what had happened." Minako shot a menacing look towards the Mercurian. "Or rather what we assumed happened. They ceremonially banished Rei from the order."

"It wouldn't look good to have a priestess in your ranks who was responsible for the bloody murder of fifteen people." The blonde closed her eyes and brought her head down to rest on her arms where they were crossed on her knees. "Rei has been all alone for two years running in circles on this forsaken, glorified sandbox of a planet. And she didn't even need to run away." Looking to the side and off into the distance, Minako could just make out the shape of the building that she new was the temple.

Makoto sat down on the steps leading up into the ship. "We all screwed up Minako. You have to stop blaming yourself solely for this."

The Venusian snorted at the brunette and brought her head up to look at her Senshi. "I was the one who sent her away. The Queen didn't even want us to do anything until we had more time to go over the evidence." After looking once more towards the temple, Minako stood up and headed towards the steps where Makoto was sitting. "If it weren't for my stupidity she would still be with us."

"We can't start thinking like that Minako-chan. We simply need to continue our search tomorrow and hope for better results." Ami had her visor down now and she was busy inputting the data she had collected throughout the day. "I think it would be wise if we returned to talk to that priest tomorrow."

"That's a good idea." Makoto grinned as she rubbed her hands together. "He may have felt comfortable lying to that little soldier, but I don't think he will give the Senshi the same dishonest treatment."

In spite of the despair she was beginning to feel, Minako was grateful for the gung-ho attitude the Jovian brought to every task. She couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel yet, but she was starting to get the feeling that she would soon see Rei again.

* * *

"The Senshi are close to being reunited. I thought you said there was no chance of that happening again?" The voice of Metaria echoed through Beryl's mind and she shuddered in fear.

"We have something in place to prevent them from finding Mars." Beryl gestured to a group of youma. "When the sun sets on Mars tonight, Venus and her little friends will have some unexpected company."

A wisp of dark, oily smoke circled around Beryl. "We need to keep them separate." A menacing face materialized in the smoke, the words were now seeming to come from a gaping hole where a mouth should have been. "If we can eliminate the Senshi I promise that you will finally be queen."

Beryl smiled and summoned forth more youma. "Excellent"

* * *

"_What did you do?!__"_

_The whole room stank of blood. Mars collapsed to her knees. Her head was spinning. What did she do?_

"_I__……__. Don__'__t know__"_

_Venus was livid. Red hot anger flowed through her veins as she yanked her second in command into a standing position roughly by the collar of her fuku._

"_What do you mean you 'don't know'?" The blonde shook with fury and she could barely stop herself from hitting the other girl. "Don't even bother lying to me Mars. You are definitely not in any position to start denying or playing dumb."_

"_Venus! Mars! Prepare yourselves, there are three youma behind us!" Jupiter yelled out as her and Mercury rushed through the doorway and came to an immediate stand still at the sight that greeted them. "What in the……?"_

_There was no time to explain as the three youma also came rushing through the door. _

"_Jupiter, Mercury, take up offensive positions and don't hold anything back we are in a small space so they have the advantage. Be careful with your long range attacks." Venus barked out her orders while dodging an attack from one of the youma. She cast a quick glance at Mars who was preparing to aid in the battle. "Mars, don't even think about lifting a finger." And then under her breath. "I don't know if I trust you anymore."_

_Jupiter and Mercury did not hear the comment as they were too busy focusing their energy on defeating the youma. But Mars had heard it, and clutching at her head she could feel her heart breaking as she desperately tried to remember what had happened when she came through the door. _

_Venus made short work of her youma by impaling it on a conveniently broken pipe and hurried over to help Mercury who was currently backed into a corner. Venus grabbed the youma's attention with a whip to the back of it's head with her chain. "Mercury now!"_

_Mercury unleashed a fury of bubbles at the same time as Venus let out a crescent beam and the youma let out a guttural scream and crumbled to the ground._

_Winking at Mercury, Venus turned to see that Jupiter had just finished off her youma and was in the process of heading towards where Mars lay on the floor unconscious._

"_What happened in here Venus?" Jupiter picked up the fire Senshi and turned towards her commander._

"_We can't worry about that right now." Venus looked at Mercury who was scanning the entire building for anymore youma activity._

"_It's all clear in here now Venus."_

_The blonde nodded and turned towards Jupiter. "Get her back to the transport ship. Mercury you stay here and record all the information you can from these bodies." Venus felt her stomach lurch as she fully took in the scene around her. "I'm going to find whoever's in charge of this place and see if they can help shed some light on this mess."_

* * *

_Rei was back in the same filthy cell she had just been freed from three months ago. This time, however, she had a feeling she wouldn't be in here for very long. There had been a hearing in the war room detailing what had happened in the research laboratory on Mercury. Preliminary reports suggested that Rei had been responsible for the murder of fifteen scientists. _

_Mercury, who had been acting as defense for Rei at the hearing had proposed that youma were responsible for the attack. Unfortunately that theory was shot down when the chief of staff at the laboratory confirmed that no person or youma had entered that room before Rei except for the scientists that were already inside._

_The evidence all pointed to Rei, and since she was unable to recall what had happened, she could provide no counter argument. The hearing had ended with Jupiter escorting the Martian from the room. The only thing that Rei could do on her way out was look desperately at Minako, pleading with her eyes that the Venusian would be able to see somehow that she was innocent. But the blonde had avoided her gaze. She hadn't said anything throughout the entire hearing. Rei wondered if she would ever hear her voice again._

_Rei now paced back and forth in the small cell. The hearing had ended about two hours ago. She knew that they would come to a decision on her fate very soon. In her mind there wasn't much to decide. _

"_Damnit!" Rei slammed her fist into the wall. "Why can't I remember?" After punching the wall once more, she sank down on the bed, subconsciously avoiding the spring poking out of the hole in the mattress. She sat staring at her hand that had begun to bleed after she had so wisely decided to attack the wall. She couldn't feel the pain. _

_It wasn't much longer before Rei heard the echo of footsteps coming down into the cell block of the detention center. She wondered who they would send to break the news. She lowered her head and focused on the sound of the footsteps. She knew that walk._

"_Couldn't it be anyone other than her?" She knew she would die if she had to see the disappointment in Minako's eyes._

_The lock disengaged on her cell. "Get up and follow me." Minako's voice was cold. Rei looked up to see the back of a blonde head heading back towards the exit of the cell block. Rising to follow the Venusian Rei was grateful for not having to see the look on her face._

_The two exited the detention center and walked for a few minutes before Minako finally stopped. Her back was still turned and her voice had the slightest hint of a tremor. "I don't understand why you did it. But this isn't your first offense and I know I can't have an unstable element like you as part of my team. Our mission is too important." Rei could feel it coming, and so she braced herself. "Leave."_

_Minako turned around now to look right at the Martian. Cerulean met amethyst, but this time sparks didn't fly. "Leave now and never come back. I never want to see you again." The Venusian was barely able to issue the command before her voice broke. Rei stood, staring in silence. "Are you deaf? Go now before I have you arrested and sent to a Jovian prison." Minako took a step forward and looked like she was about to hit the raven haired girl.  
_

_Rei turned and ran. She knew that Minako was doing her one last favor. If a Jovian prison was the alternative punishment, she would gladly force exile upon herself. Turning one last time, the fire Senshi saw Minako sink to her knees and she knew it was all over._

Rei opened her eyes and reflexively wiped at her tears. She had grown used to waking up after crying in her sleep. She had that dream a few times every week, it was like a tortuous routine. She had grown used to the heart ache.

Looking to the window, Rei noticed that the sun had risen. She pulled herself up into a sitting position and sat looking into the fire, waiting for Euris to come downstairs to join her. Moments later, she was surprised to see him hurry through the front door, looking particularly dishevelled.

"I have terrible news." Rei could feel it before he even said it. It struck her like a bolt of Jupiter's lightning. "There was an attack on the Lunarian transport shuttle. The Senshi have been captured."


End file.
